Newell, West Virginia | Inside Appalachia's Pottery Capital

Newell is located in Hancock County, West Virginia. Population is around 1,216 residents. Sitting along the Ohio River, it's right in the middle of the pottery capital along side of East Liverpool, Ohio. The town's economy was largely built around the pottery industry in the early 20th century. By 1907 the world's largest pottery plant opened in Newell, giving the Homer Laughlin China Company a combined capacity of up to 300,000 pieces per day at one point. With the access to the Ohio River transportation, railroad, natural gas, and abundance of clay made the location ideal for large scale production. Today things are a little different, as much of the decline began with pottery after World War II. However, today there is still production to keep the economy going somewhat, and while the area survived better than most, Homer Laughlin has rebranded to Fiesta Tableware Company as of 2020. Filmed April/December 2025. Let's check it out.